The present invention relates generally to navigation systems and more particularly to a navigation system with an improved display for displaying a recommended route to a destination.
A known navigation system includes motion and position determining devices which determine the position of the vehicle relative to a map database. Using a user interface, a user can select a destination in the map database. The navigation system calculates a recommended route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination, then guides the user to the destination along the recommended route. The recommended route is displayed as a map from the current position toward the destination. On the display, the recommended route is xe2x80x9chighlightedxe2x80x9d by being displayed in a different color from the other roads.
In the known navigation system, the roads on the map may already be displayed in several different colors. Different colors of the roads on the map display represent roads of different levels, i.e., highways versus main roads, versus side streets. As a result, the recommended route, which is shown as yet another color, may not stand out sufficiently.
The present invention provides a navigation system which displays a recommended route on a map display of road segments with a plurality of arrows arranged on the recommended route toward the destination. The recommended route is highlighted in a color different from other road segments on the map display and arrows of yet another color are also displayed along the recommended route oriented toward the destination.
The positioning of the arrows depends upon the current scale of the displayed map (zoom level). As the scale of the map increases, the represented distance between the arrows increases, such that the arrows appear to stay in the same position on the display. To place the arrows on the highlighted route, the distance of each road segment is calculated. These distances are added together. An arrow is drawn when the summed distance equals a predetermined value selected based upon the current map scale.
In the present invention, the recommended route is more easily visible and is more distinguishable because of the arrows. In a more complicated route, such as a route that crosses over itself, the arrows assist the observer in discerning and understanding the route quickly.